Container Cap With Enhanced Shelf-Life Heating Or Cooling Agent Insert

ABSTRACT

A container cap or lid used to make a self-heating or self-cooling container having an improved shelf-life and an independent heat-transfer compartment or insert in which are utilized liquid-activated endothermic or exothermic agents, a liquid-activated mixer within the compartment, a simple actuation means for initiating the cooling or heating processes and a method for using the same.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of priority to Application Ser. No.61/473,011, filed Apr. 7, 2011, incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to improvements in self-cooling and self-heatingcontainers designed to increase the shelf-life and effectiveness of theendothermic and exothermic materials used and more particularly toself-cooling and self-heating container caps or lids or inserts having amulti-cavity, independent heat-transfer compartment utilizingwater-activated endothermic and exothermic cooling and heating agents, awater-activated mixer within the compartment, a simple actuation meansfor initiating the cooling or heating processes and a method for usingthe same.

2. Description of the Art

Self-cooling and self-heating containers that utilize water-activated orliquid-activated endothermic and exothermic materials are known in theprior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,003,324 discloses acompartmentalized container for cooling beverages consisting of an outerchamber containing the beverage to be chilled, a two-part innercontainer holding water and the cooling agent separated by a barrier ormembrane and a means for making contact between the cooling agent andthe water within the inner compartment to facilitate the cooling effect.U.S. Pat. No. 4,559,921 describes a self-heating vessel that comprises acompartment for the substance to be heated that is adjacent to a sealedcontainer containing a heating agent and water in which one of thematerials is sealed in a pouch to keep it separated from the othermaterial. The materials are activated to create heat by means of atearing filament secured to the pouch that can be made to open the pouchin order to trigger the exothermic reaction. The tearing filamentextends across the lid below the bottom of the vessel and emerges frombetween the housing and the vessel in a portion that can be grasped bythe user to pull on the tearing filament in order to tear open the pouchand release the contents. Such self-heating and self-cooling containersare useful for heating and cooling liquids, beverages, soups and thelike without the use of an external heat source or refrigeration device.

With respect to the above, it is important for commercial success of anyself-heating or self-chilling container that it can be utilized withinthe preferred processes for making beverages and food. For example, manybeverages must be pasteurized before being sealed in a container so thatbacteria growth is eliminated and spoilage of the consumable item isminimized. Beverages such as beer, fruit drinks and the like arepasteurized in the body of the container before the lid is fixed to thecontainer, so any self-heating or self-chilling embodiment should becompatible with the existing pasteurization processes and not involveadditional process steps.

Self-heating and self-chilling containers should also be manufacturedusing conventional manufacturing materials and equipment with minimaladaptation. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,784,678 a containercomprised of an outer compartment for holding a beverage and an innercompartment for holding a cooling agent is shown that can bemanufactured with conventional can manufacturing technology. Here thecontainer is made by first pre-forming the outer compartment such thatit can be used to enclose a beverage during pasteurization and thenpre-forming the inner compartment, as an integral part of the can lid oras a separate chamber, then inserting the cooling agent into inner thecompartment and finally inserting the completed inner compartment intothe outer compartment. The lid of the sealed container thus has a portalto access the inner compartment containing the cooling agent and aportal to access the beverage, and can be made with conventional lidmanufacturing techniques and affixed to the container using conventionaltechnology.

In a similar manner, U.S. Pat. No. 5,255,812 discloses caps that containheating agents that can be fixed to the tops of containers to provide ameans of heating the contents of the containers. It is thus evident fromthe prior art that it is advantageous to incorporate self-heating orself-chilling devices into the caps or lids of containers rather thaninto the main body of the container in order to be compatible withexisting beverage processes and container-manufacturing technology. Suchan incorporation must be designed to minimize contamination of thebeverage by the heat transfer materials.

Because membranes that separate liquids from cooling and heating agentsare often difficult to reliably penetrate or fail to completely emptytheir contents in a rapid manner, several inventions in the prior artsuch as U.S. Pat. No. 3,023,587 also disclose techniques for improvingpenetration and release. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,784,678 disclosesan internal mixing device within the compartment holding the liquid andcooling agent to overcome the inadequate mixing of the contents uponactivation that is known to be a problem affecting self-coolingcontainers. Other similar examples are described in U.S. Pat. Nos.7,350,732, 7,117,684, 6,889,507, 6,351,953, 6,134,894, and 6,103,280.

One particular problem associated with the use of chemical heating andcooling agents is the stability of these agents during storage. Manyeffective endothermic chemicals are not compatible with each other andwill decompose or react when mixed together. For example, mixtures ofurea and ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulfamate are very effectivecooling agents when activated with water but will undergo decompositionby acid hydrolysis during storage of the dry mixture. Mixtures ofcalcium oxides and calcium chloride are very effective water-activatedheating agents that will react prematurely if stored together as amixture. U.S. Pat. No. 3,957,472 describes a means of improving thestability of such heat transfer chemicals by separating them from eachother during storage by a layer of ammonium chloride. In their dry stateand in their separated condition the chemical heat transfer materialsare stable and inactive and are activated when mixed with water. Thisinvention may improve stability of the chemical agents but requires theuse of a layer of ammonium chloride between the incompatible heating andcooling agents which adds to the cost of the resultant self-heating andself-cooling devices. Ammonium chloride also has a tendency to form ahard and somewhat impermeable barrier between the heat transfer agentsduring storage that inhibits mixing and slows down the desired thermaleffect upon activation of the materials with water. There is thus afurther need to improve the shelf-life and stability of self-heating andself-cooling devices that use chemical activation agents without havingto rely upon the use of a layer of ammonium chloride.

Besides stability and acceptable shelf-life, self-cooling andself-heating containers, lids or caps must embody several attributes inorder to be commercially successful. A container, lid or cap must beadaptable to current container manufacturing techniques and processes;the cooling or heating mechanism must be safe, simple, inexpensive andefficient; the actuation technique for initiating the heating or coolingprocess must be tamper-evident and simple in order to appeal to theconsumer; and the internal chamber holding the liquid and thermal agentmust provide rapid and complete contact and mixing between the liquidand the solid thermal agents. Self-heating and self-chilling containers,lids and caps shown in the prior art have not exhibited one or more ofthe above attributes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A primary object of the invention is to provide a container equippedwith a cap or lid coupled to a self-heating or self-cooling device andmethod which can efficiently and safely heat or cool beverages prior toconsumption.

Another object of this invention is provide a cap or lid containing aself-heating or self-cooling device which can be manufactured along withthe other components of a self-heating or self-cooling container withoutmajor alterations in manufacturing machinery or equipment

Another object of this invention to use safe and inexpensiveheat-transfer materials as part of a self-contained heating or coolingmechanism.

Another object of the invention is to provide a unique combination ofheating or cooling agents that have long shelf life.

A further object of this invention to provide a cap or lid containing aself-heating or self-cooling device which can be easily and safelyactuated to initiate the heating or cooling process whether or not partof a self-heating or self-cooling container.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a cap or lid containing aself-cooling or self-heating device having an independent heat-transfercompartment or insert in which are utilized heat transfer materialsconsisting of liquid-activated endothermic or exothermic agents, aliquid-activated mixer within the compartment, a simple actuation meansfor initiating the cooling or heating processes and a method for usingthe same. The heat-transfer compartment comprises three cavities inwhich the first and third cavities contain liquid-activated endothermicor exothermic agents that are separated from each other by the secondcavity that contains liquid that is sealed off from the first and thirdcavities. In this manner, exothermic and endothermic agents that areincompatible can be isolated from each other during storage and onlybrought in contact with each other and the liquid used for activationwhen it is desired to cool or heat the container.

As previously mentioned in the description of the prior art, a widevariety of heating and cooling agents can be used in this invention butmany of these agents are incompatible when mixed together during storagein the inner compartment prior to use. As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.3,957,472, dry mixtures of urea and ammonium nitrate and ammoniumsulfamate are very effective cooling agents when mixed with water butwill undergo decomposition by acid hydrolysis during storage. Mixturesof calcium oxides and calcium chloride are very effectivewater-activated heating agents that will react prematurely if storedtogether as a mixture.

Accordingly, this present invention allows mixtures of compatibleheating and cooling agents to be stored separately from other mixturesof heating and cooling agents that would not be compatible with themduring storage. Here compatible heat-transfer agents are mixed togetherand stored in their dry state in the first cavity of the innercompartment while other heat-transfer agents that are incompatible withthose stored in the first cavity are mixed together stored in the thirdcavity of the compartment and the incompatible materials of the firstand third cavities are separated from each other by the sealingmembranes or barriers that form the second cavity filled with theactivating liquid.

When it is desirable to use the device, a user actuates the heating orcooling process by pulling on a tab that is connected to a device thatpunctures or tears through the seal separating the second cavity fromthe first and third cavities, thus allowing the liquid activating agentto react with the endothermic or exothermic agents to bring about thedesired effect. Pulling on the tab also facilitates mixing of thecontents in all three cavities and the liquid also activates an internalmixing device within the third cavity that serves to enhance mixing andcontact between the contents of all of the three cavities. The materialsmix and either heat or cool the container contents by conduction throughthe compartment wall.

Specifically, the self-heating or self-cooling container comprises:

(a) a closure means, typically flat like a lid or shaped to fit over anopening or portal, having dimensions such that the closure means cancover and enclose an outer compartment containing a liquid or beverageto be heated or cooled and form the top end of the outer compartmentwhereby the compartment also has at least one sidewall and a bottom endwhereby the sidewall, lid or cap and the bottom end form a cavity forstoring the liquid. Here the lid is coupled to a self-heating orself-cooling device and is directly and permanently attached to theouter compartment.

(b) an alternative closure means, typically a threaded cap shaped to fitover an opening or portal, having dimensions such that the closure meanscan cover and enclose an outer compartment containing a liquid orbeverage to be cooled and form the top end of the outer compartmentwhereby the compartment also has at least one sidewall and a bottom endwhereby the sidewall, cap and the bottom end form a cavity for storingthe liquid. Here the cap is either permanently coupled to a self-heatingor self-cooling device or to a well that can contain the self-heating orself-cooling device, or can be screwed onto the outer compartment tomake contact between the lip of a self-heating or self-cooling devicethat lies on top of the cavity containing stored beverage such that aleak-free seal is formed between the cap, the lip of the self-heating orself-cooling device and the outer compartment. Here the cap is notpermanently attached to the outer compartment but can be unscrewed andremoved to access the beverage in the cavity of the outer compartmentand also screwed back on to seal off the cavity containing the beveragewhen desired.

(c) an openable closure means located on, adjacent to incorporatedwithin the surface of the lid of the outer compartment such that themeans can be penetrated or opened or removed to provide access to theliquid stored within as is the case for a beverage can; oralternatively, the cap itself comprises an openable closure means as isthe case for a beverage bottle.

(d) a self-heating or self-cooling device comprising an innercompartment having a smaller diameter and volume than the outercompartment and incorporated into or coupled to the cap or lid formingthe top end of the outer compartment such that the inner compartment canbe located within the cavity of the outer compartment when the cap orlid containing the inner compartment is affixed to the outercompartment, said inner compartment including: (i) at least onesidewall, a top end and a bottom end, (ii) a first cavity containing aheat-transfer material (i.e., heating or cooling agents) consisting ofeither an endothermic cooling agent or exothermic heating agent thatwill react when contacted with a liquid activator, (iii) a second cavitycontaining a liquid that will activate the heating or cooling processwhen in contact with the heat-transfer materials, (iv) a third cavitycontaining a heat-transfer material that is incompatible with the heattransfer material found in the first cavity and that will react whencontacted with a liquid activator, (v) a rupturable membrane or barriermeans separating the first and third cavities from the second cavity andwhich isolates the second cavity, (vi) an openable closure or tear panelor means attached to the top end that provides tamper-free access to theinner compartment while preventing accidental activation of the heatingor cooling mechanism, (vii) a diaphragm attached to or comprising thetop end of the inner compartment and accessible through the openableclosure or tear panel located near the center of the diaphragm having aninterior-oriented surface, an exterior-oriented surface and a portal ororifice extending through the diaphragm; (viii) a removable plug that isfitted into the orifice located in the center of the diaphragm that isheld in place within the diaphragm by a pressure seal attached to thecircumference of the bottom end of the plug or by modifying the bottomend of the plug to form a male threaded fitting that can be screwed intoa female threaded fitting formed as a modification of the orifice withinthe diaphragm, (ix) a tearing filament attached to the bottom end of theremovable plug that is of sufficient length to extend around 1.5 timesthe length of the inner compartment from the top end of the innercompartment through the first cavity and adjacent to or through themembrane or barrier separating the second cavity from the first andthird cavities and finally terminating in the third cavity, said tearingfilament comprised of four separated strands that have an abrasivecoating or abrasive, sharp-edged objects attached to the distalone-third of each strand to form a puncturing means for rupturing themembrane or barrier separating the first and third cavities from thesecond cavity, (x) a hollow tube of sufficient length to extend around0.25 times the length of the inner compartment that is affixed to thebottom end of the removable plug to form a rigid conduit for the tearingfilament, (xi) a plug pull tab attached to the top end of the removableplug such that when the tab and plug attached to the tearing filamentare pulled by the user, the tearing filament travels from the thirdcavity through the second and first cavities, ripping open the barrierssurrounding the second cavity, thus allowing the passage of liquids fromthe second cavity throughout the contents of the first and thirdcavities to promote rapid diffusion and ensure complete and thoroughcontact between the solid and liquid components or reactants, (xii) aheat transfer mechanism comprising the plug pull tab attached to theremovable plug, the hollow tube and the tearing filament that isactivated by pulling the tab and related assembly out of the portalattached to the diaphragm and away from the top of the container toallow the sharpened surfaces of the tearing filament to travel and topenetrate the membranes or barriers separating the two cavities suchthat the liquid from the second cavity gains access to the heating andcooling agents in the first and third cavities and (xiii) a staticspring mixer consisting of compressed spring held in its compressedstate by a solvent-soluble tape or glue where the solvent is typicallywater located in the third cavity containing the heating or coolingagents adjacent to the interior surface of the bottom of the innercontainer such that the static spring mixer expands to mix the contentsof the first, second and third cavities upon activation by water.

According to an embodiment of the invention, a self-cooling container asdescribed above whereby a layer of insulation is affixed to the interioror the exterior surface of the sidewall of the outer compartment.

According to another embodiment of the invention, a lid containing theself-heating or self-cooling device as described above that also servesas a covering of the top end of a self-heating or self-chilling beveragecontainer and has an openable closure means on the surface of the lidcomprising a rupturable tear panel or pull tab which may be ruptured toprovide access to the liquid stored within the cavity of the outercompartment of a self-heating or self-chilling container whereby (i) thepull tab has a front end and a bottom end and (ii) the back end of thepull tab is placed adjacent to the rupturable tear panel such that whenthe front end of the pull tab is pulled away from the lid, therupturable tear panel ruptures and moves into the cavity, providingaccess to the beverage stored within.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the openable closuremeans that forms a covering of the top end of the outer compartment of aself-heating or self-chilling container consists of a cap that can befirmly attached to top end of the outer compartment to form a sealedunit comprising: (i) a threaded cap equipped with a female-threadedfitting or other female-threaded means having an exterior surface and aninterior surface such that the cap when screwed onto the self-heating orself-chilling container will create a self-contained unit, (ii) a portalor orifice made through the top surface of the cap of sufficientdiameter to allow insertion of a self-heating or self-cooling device asdescribed herein; (iii) a self-heating or self-cooling deviceincorporated into or coupled to the cap through the portal to form aleak-free cap; (iv) a seal or gasket affixed to the interior surface ofthe cap and forming around the outer circumference of the self-heatingor self-cooling device that can also cover the opening of the outercompartment to create an isolated cavity within the outer compartmentthat can contain any enclosed beverage or liquid without leakage orspillage and without any contamination from the environment even whenthe liquid is pressurized under those pressures typical of a carbonatedbeverage, and (v) a top end of the outer compartment equipped with amale-threaded fitting or other male threaded means that can mate withthe threaded cap when screwed together to form a tight-fitting sealbetween the cap, the gasket, the top end of the outer compartment andthe cavity of the outer compartment.

According to another embodiment of the invention, a lid or cap asdescribed above is directly and permanently attached to the innercompartment of the self-heating or self-cooling device which is then indirect contact with the liquid contained within the outer compartmentand located within the cavity of the outer compartment. As shown above,the inner compartment is self-contained without any seals orpenetrations between the contents of the inner compartment and thecontents of the cavity of the outer compartment so that contamination ofa beverage with cooling agent is virtually eliminated. With respect tothe inner compartment of the self-heating or self-cooling device, thediaphragm is affixed to the top of the inner compartment to create acompletely self-contained unit that can be activated by the consumerwith no contact between the consumer and contents of the innercompartment. As an additional safety feature, the diaphragm and contactinterface with the consumer with respect to activating the coolingmechanism is separated from the pull tab at the top of the containerwhereby the consumer accesses the beverage. By these features, theself-heating or self-chilling container is made safe to use.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the surface of the capor lid is expanded to form a well that can extend into the interior ofthe outer compartment cavity, when the lid or cap is secured to theouter compartment, to displace some of the volume of the cavity thatcontains the liquid to be cooled such that a fourth cavity is formedthat does not contain any liquid and is open to the environment. Thefourth cavity conforms to the shape of the inner compartment of theself-cooling device and is made to hold the inner compartment in place.The inner compartment can be held in place within the well of the lid orcap by a pressure seal attached to the circumference of the bottom endof the sidewall of the inner compartment or by modifying the bottom endof the sidewall to form a male threaded fitting that can be screwed intoa female threaded fitting formed as a modification of the top expandedend of the well. In this manner a separate heating or cooling device orinsert that comprises the heat-transfer mechanism, the static springmixer, the heating or cooling agent, the separating barriers and theliquid to activate the heating or cooling agent can all be manufacturedseparately from the cap or lid and the container holding the beverage tobe heated or cooled, and thus the described heating or cooling devicecan be inserted into and removed from the cap or lid and thus indirectlyfrom a beverage container for ease of use and to promote efficiency withrespect to the manufacturing of the lid, cap, container and the deviceand with respect to the recycling and reuse of the lids, caps,containers and the spent heat-transfer materials.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the sidewall adjacentto the top end of the inner compartment of the self-heating orself-cooling device as described herein is modified to form a lip orconcentric ring that extends outward perpendicular to the vertical axisof the sidewall of the inner compartment. The lip has a top surface, abottom surface, and a gasket attached to the bottom surface of the lip,and is extended such that the bottom surface of the lip forms aleak-free seal of the outer compartment cavity when the modifiedself-heating or self-cooling device is placed into the cavity of theouter compartment and onto the top of the outer compartment of abeverage container and downward pressured is applied to the top surfaceof the lip. This downward pressure can be applied by screwing on anystandard cap or lid that is typically used to seal a beverage or foodcontainer which is typically a glass or plastic bottle. In this manner aseparate heating or cooling device or insert that comprises theheat-transfer mechanism, the static spring mixer, the heating or coolingagent, the separating barrier and the liquid to activate the heating orcooling agent can all be manufactured and sold separately from the capor lid and the container holding the beverage to be heated or cooled,and thus the described heating and cooling device can be inserted intoand removed from a beverage bottle or other related container having acap or a lid without the need for a specially modified cap, lid orself-heating or self-chilling container for ease of use and to reducethe cost of use.

According to another embodiment of the invention, a self-coolingcontainer as described above is affixed with a pouch, bag or ballooncontaining the liquid that is positioned to occupy all of the interiorspace of the second cavity such that the balloon forms the membrane orbarrier that separates the liquid in the second cavity from the heatingand cooling agents in the first and third cavities.

The lid or cap containing the self-heating or self-cooling device whenused as part of a self-heating or self-chilling container disclosedherein thus provides several additional benefits, some of which aredetailed below. For example, since self-chilling beverages do not haveto be refrigerated to provide a chilled liquid and since self-heatingbeverages do not have to be heated externally prior to consumption,their use may reduce the cost borne by retailers of beverage containersto store and market the beverage containers. Self-heating andself-chilling beverage containers may similarly reduce or eliminate theneed for vending machines that employ traditional refrigeration methodsto store the beverage containers at low temperatures or heating systemsto heat the beverages to a higher temperature. Lid and caps containingthe self-heating and self-cooling devices are also easier and lesscostly to manufacture compared to self-heating self-chilling containerswhere the self-cooling device is part of the body of the containerinstead of the cap or lid. Self-heating and self-cooling devices thatcan be used with any standard beverage bottle without modification ofthe bottle or cap or lid are particularly advantages with respect tocost and ease of use and time to market. In particular, the self-heatingand self-cooling devices described in this invention are made stable andexhibit longer shelf-life because of the separation and isolation ofincompatible heat-transfer materials and the liquid activating agentduring storage prior to use.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION AND DRAWINGS

The objects of the present invention and the associated advantagesthereof will become more readily apparent from the following detaileddescription when taken in conjunction with the following drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a self-heating or self-chilling beveragecontainer having a lid containing a self-heating or self-cooling device.

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-section through an insulated self-heating orself-chilling beverage container illustrating the lid attached to theinner compartment of the self-heating or self-cooling device and coupledto the outer compartment and illustrating: the lid; the cavitycontaining the beverage; the first cavity of the inner compartmentcontaining the heating or cooling agent; the second cavity of the innercompartment containing the liquid activating material; the third cavityof the inner compartment containing the heating or cooling agent; therupturable membrane or barrier means separating the first and thirdcavities from the second cavity; the openable closure or tear panelattached to the top end of the outer compartment; the diaphragm attachedto or comprising the top end of the inner compartment having a portal ororifice extending through the diaphragm; the removable plug that isfitted into the orifice located in the center of the diaphragm; thetearing filament attached to the bottom end of the removable plug; thehollow tube forming a conduit for the tearing filament; the plug pulltab attached to the removable plug; the static spring mixer; and theclosed tear panel.

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-section through an insulated self-heating orself-chilling beverage container illustrating the lid containing theself-heating or self-cooling device showing the opening of the accesstear panel and illustrating a rupturing means for rupturing the sealisolating the second cavity such that when the plug pull tab attached tothe plug and to the tearing filament are pulled by the user, the tearingfilament travels from the third cavity through the second and firstcavities, ripping open the barriers surrounding the second cavity, thusallowing the passage of liquids from the second cavity throughout thecontents of the first and third cavities.

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-section through an insulated self-heating orself-chilling beverage container illustrating the lid containing theself-heating or self-cooling device showing the expansion of the staticspring mixer and subsequent mixing of the contents of the innercompartment.

FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-section through the lower half of the innercompartment of the self-heating or self-cooling device attached to thelid of the self-heating or self-chilling beverage containerillustrating: the heat-transfer mechanism; the compressed static springmixer; the barrier or sealing membrane or balloon fixed between thesecond and the third cavities; the un-activated heat-transfer mechanism;and the closed tear panel.

FIG. 6 illustrates the compressed static spring mixer held in place bythe solvent-activated tape and the expanded static spring mixer.

FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment of the heat-transfer mechanism wherethe tearing filament is affixed to a removable plug inserted into thediaphragm and attached to the plug pull tab.

FIG. 8 illustrates the fully extended removable plug attached to theplug pull tab as part of the activated heat transfer mechanism.

FIG. 9 is a vertical cross-section through an insulated self-heating orself-chilling beverage container illustrating the outer compartment withthe cavity containing the beverage and a lid having an expanded bottomsurface forming a fourth cavity modified with a female-threaded means inwhich is inserted the threaded self-heating or self-cooling device.

FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-section through a self-heating orself-chilling beverage container illustrating the outer compartment withthe cavity containing the beverage and a lid having an expanded bottomsurface forming a fourth cavity modified with a female-threaded means,and an illustration of the self-heating or self-cooling device inserthaving: the barrier or sealing membrane isolating the second cavity; thesecond cavity containing the liquid activating material; the first andthird cavities containing the heating or cooling agent; the hollow tube;the tearing filament; the removable plug; the plug pull tab; the staticspring mixer; the diaphragm; and the bottom end of the sidewall modifiedwith a male-threaded means.

FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-section through an insulated self-chillingbeverage container illustrating the outer compartment with the cavitycontaining the beverage and a lid having an expanded bottom surfaceforming a fourth cavity modified with a female-threaded means in whichis inserted the self-heating or self-cooling device equipped with apressure seal.

FIG. 12 is a vertical cross-section through a self-heating orself-chilling beverage container illustrating the outer compartment withthe cavity containing the beverage and a lid having an expanded bottomsurface forming a fourth cavity modified with a female-threaded means,and an illustration of the self-heating or self-cooling device inserthaving: the first cavity of the inner compartment containing the heatingor cooling agent; the second cavity of the inner compartment containingthe liquid activating material; the third cavity of the innercompartment containing the heating or cooling agent; the rupturablemembrane or barrier means separating the first and third cavities fromthe second cavity; the openable closure or tear panel or means attachedto the top end of the outer compartment; the diaphragm attached to orcomprising the top end of the inner compartment having a portal ororifice extending through the diaphragm; the removable plug that isfitted into the orifice located in the center of the flexible diaphragm;the tearing filament attached to the bottom end of the removable plug;the hollow tube forming a conduit for the tearing filament; the plugpull tab; the static spring mixer; and the bottom end of the sidewallequipped with a pressure seal.

FIG. 13 is a vertical cross-section through a self-heating orself-chilling beverage bottle illustrating the threaded cap containingthe self-heating or self-cooling device and illustrating: the cavitycontaining the beverage; the first cavity of the inner compartmentcontaining the heating or cooling agent; the second cavity of the innercompartment containing the liquid activating material; the third cavityof the inner compartment containing the heating or cooling agent; therupturable membrane or barrier means separating the first and thirdcavities from the second cavity; the openable closure or tear panel ormeans attached to the top end of the outer compartment; the diaphragmattached to or comprising the top end of the inner compartment having aportal or orifice extending through the diaphragm; the removable plugthat is fitted into the orifice located in the center of the flexiblediaphragm; the tearing filament attached to the bottom end of theremovable plug; the hollow tube forming a conduit for the tearingfilament; the plug pull tab; the static spring mixer; and the tearpanel.

FIG. 14 is a close view of a vertical-cross-section of a typicalbeverage bottle and threaded cap illustrating self-heating orself-chilling bottle illustrating a self-heating or self-cooling deviceequipped with a lip where said device can be inserted into the beveragebottle to heat or cool the bottle without modification of the bottle orthe cap.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a self-heating orself-cooling container 5 particularly suited for carbonated soft drinks,fruit drinks, beer and other similar beverages that is equipped with alid 3 at its top end 11 coupled to a self-heating or self-cooling device51. Preferably, the container 5 is a can constructed of conventionalmaterials such as aluminum or other suitable materials and the lid 3 isconstructed of materials similar to the can, or a bottle constructed ofa plastic material such as polycarbonate as illustrated in FIGS. 13 and14 with a cap 4 constructed of plastic or other materials.

With reference to FIG. 2, the container 5 has an outer compartment 10having a lid 3, a bottom end 12 and at least one sidewall 13, anoptional insulation means 14, an outer compartment 10 that encloses acavity 16 that contains a beverage 17 to be cooled, an openable closuremeans 18 and an inner compartment 19 that contains the liquid activatingagent 20, the heat-transfer agents (heating or cooling agents) 21, abarrier or rupturable membrane 22 that separates the liquid activatingagent 20 from the heat-transfer agents 21, a tear panel or means 23attached to the top end 11 that provides tamper-free access to the innercompartment 19 while preventing accidental activation of theheat-transfer mechanism 43 comprising the plug pull tab 41 attached tothe removable plug 31, the hollow tube 40 and the tearing filament 33, adiaphragm 25 attached to or comprising the top end of the innercompartment 19 and accessible through the openable closure or tear panel23 located near the center of the diaphragm 25 having aninterior-oriented surface 26, an exterior-oriented surface 27 and aportal or orifice 28 extending through the diaphragm 25, a removableplug 31 that is fitted into the orifice 28 located in the center of thediaphragm 25 that is held in place within the diaphragm 25 by a pressureseal 30 attached to the circumference of the bottom end 29 of the plug31 or by modifying the bottom end 29 of the plug 31 to form amale-threaded fitting 32 that can be screwed into a female-threadedfitting 50 formed as a modification of the orifice 28 within thediaphragm 25, a tearing filament 33 attached to the bottom end 29 of theremovable plug 31 that is of sufficient length to extend around 1.5times the length of the inner compartment 19 from the top end 34 of theinner compartment 19 through the first cavity 35 and adjacent to orthrough the membrane or barrier 22 separating the second cavity 36 fromthe first 35 and third cavities 37 and finally terminating in the thirdcavity 37, said tearing filament 33 comprised of four separated strands38 that have an abrasive coating or abrasive, sharp-edged objects 39attached to the distal one-third of each strand to form a rupturingmeans for rupturing the membrane or barrier 22 separating the first 35and third 37 cavities from the second cavity 36, a hollow tube 40 ofsufficient length to extend around 0.25 times the length of the innercompartment 19 that is affixed to the bottom end 29 of the removableplug 31 to form a rigid conduit for the tearing filament 33, a plug pulltab 41 attached to the top end 42 of the removable plug 31 such thatwhen the tab 41 and plug 31 attached to the tearing filament 33 arepulled by the user, the tearing filament 33 travels from the thirdcavity 37 through the second 36 and first cavities 35, ripping open thebarriers 22 surrounding the second cavity 36, thus allowing the passageof liquids 20 from the second cavity 36 throughout the contents of thefirst 35 and third cavities 37 to promote rapid diffusion and ensurecomplete and thorough contact between the solid 21 and liquid 20components or reactants, a heat-transfer mechanism 43 that is activatedby pulling the tab 41 and related assembly out of the portal 28 attachedto the diaphragm 25 and away from the top 11 of the container 5 to allowthe sharpened surfaces 44 of the abrasive coating 39 of the tearingfilament 33 to travel and to penetrate the membranes or barriers 22separating the two cavities 35 & 37 such that the liquid 20 from thesecond cavity 36 gains access to the heating and cooling agents 21 inthe first 35 and third cavities 37; a static spring mixer 45 consistingof compressed spring 46 held in its compressed state by asolvent-soluble tape or glue 47 where the solvent is typically waterlocated in the third cavity 37 containing the heating or cooling agents21 adjacent to the interior surface 48 of the bottom 49 of the innercompartment 19 such that the static spring mixer 45 expands to mix thecontents of the first 35, second 36 and third cavities 37 uponactivation by liquid 20 and the closed tear panel 23 as is shown in FIG.5.

With further reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the openable closure means 18typically consists of a pull tab 6 coupled to the lid 3 of the outercompartment 10 and is generally opened by pulling up on the tab 6 topivot the tab 6 such that the tab 6 breaks a rupturable tear panel 7incorporated into the lid 3 attached to the outer compartment 10,allowing access to the beverage 17 contained within the cavitycontaining the beverage 16. Typically, the openable closure means 18 ismade from the same materials commonly used to manufacture metal cansincluding steel, aluminum and alloys.

With further reference to FIG. 2, an openable closure or tear panel 23is shown that prevents accidental activation of the cooling mechanism.This tear panel 23 can be any material which will prevent access toheat-transfer mechanism 43 until it is desirable to activate theheat-transfer mechanism 43 by pulling the plug pull tab 41 and relatedassembly out of the portal 28 attached to the diaphragm 25 and away fromthe top 11 of the container 5. The tear panel 23 can be an adhesivefoil, a plastic cap or the like which can be peeled back, opened, orotherwise removed by the consumer. The tear panel 23 is shown in theopened position in FIG. 3.

Alternatively and in reference to FIGS. 13 and 14, the openable closure18 means that forms the top end 11 of the outer compartment 10 of aself-heating or self-chilling container 5 consists of a cap 4 that canbe firmly attached to top end 11 of the outer compartment 10 to form asealed unit comprising: (i) a threaded cap 4 equipped with afemale-threaded fitting or other female-threaded means 51 having anexterior surface 52 and an interior surface 53 such that the cap 4 whenscrewed onto the self-heating or elf-chilling container 5 will create aself-contained unit, (ii) a portal or orifice 54 made through the topsurface of the cap 4 of sufficient diameter to allow insertion of aself-heating or self-cooling device 55 as described herein; (iii) aself-heating or self-cooling device 55 incorporated into or coupled tothe cap 4 through the portal 56 to form a leak-free cap 4; (iv) a sealor gasket 57 affixed to the interior surface 58 of the cap 4 and formingaround the outer circumference of the self-heating or self-coolingdevice 55 that can also cover the opening of the outer compartment 10 tocreate an isolated cavity 16 within the outer compartment 10 that cancontain any enclosed beverage or liquid 17 without leakage or spillageand without any contamination from the environment even when the liquid17 is pressurized under those pressures typical of a carbonatedbeverage, and (v) a top end 11 of the outer compartment 10 equipped witha male-threaded fitting or other male threaded means 59 that can matewith the threaded cap 4 when screwed together to form a tight-fittingseal between the cap 4, the gasket 57, the top end 11 of the outercompartment and the cavity 16 of the outer compartment 10.

With further reference to FIG. 2, the insulation means 14 may be coupledto the interior and exterior surfaces of the sidewall 13 of the outercompartment 10 to insulate the beverage 17 within the first cavity 16from the environment. The insulation means 14 is typically made out of anon-toxic material such as expanded polystyrene especially when it isapplied to the interior surface of the sidewall 13 where the materialwould come in contact with the beverage 17.

With further reference to FIG. 2, the inner compartment 19 of theself-heating or self-cooling device 55 is positioned adjacent to the topend 11 of the outer compartment 10 and has at least one sidewall 60, atop end 34 and a bottom end 49. The inner compartment 19 also contains asecond cavity 36 that contains the liquid activating agent 20 and first35 and third cavities 37 that contain the heating or cooling agent 21.The liquid activating agent 20 in the second cavity 36 can be anysuitable liquid which will react with the heating or cooling agent 21 inthe first 35 and third cavities 37 and will typically be water althoughother inorganic and organic liquids can be used depending upon theselection of the heating and cooling agent 21. The cooling agent 21 canbe any material which reacts on contact with the liquid activating agent20 in the second cavity 36 to absorb heat. This chemical reaction orrelated solution process, known as an endothermic reaction or process,comprises the means by which the mixture of cooling agent 21 and liquid20 cools the beverage 17 held in the cavity 16 of the outer compartment10 by heat transfer through the wall of inner compartment 19 from thebeverage 17. Alternatively, the heating agent 21 can be any materialwhich reacts on contact with the liquid activating agent 20 in thesecond cavity 36 to produce heat. This chemical reaction or relateddissolution process, known as an exothermic reaction or process,comprises the means by which the mixture of heating agent 21 and liquid20 heats up the beverage 17 held in the cavity 16 of the outercompartment 10 by heat-transfer through the wall of inner compartment 19from the beverage 17. To facilitate heat-transfer from the beverage 17,the inner compartment 19 should be constructed of a suitable heattransfer material and is preferably made from materials such as steel,aluminum or other metal alloys.

A wide variety of endothermic chemical compounds can be used as coolingagents in this invention and such chemicals are disclosed in the priorart. When the liquid activating agent 20 is water, typical coolingagents 21 include urea, potassium fluoride dihydrate, potassiumchloride, potassium bromide, potassium iodide, potassium nitrite,potassium nitrate, potassium thiosulfate pentahydrate, potassiumcyanide, potassium cyanate, potassium thiocyanide, sodium perchlorite,sodium perchlorate, sodium perchlorite dihydrate, sodium bromidedihydrate, sodium nitrite, sodium nitrate, sodium acetate trihydrate,sodium thiosulfate pentahydrate, sodium cyanide dihydrate, sodiumcyanate, ammonium chloride, ammonium bromide, ammonium iodide, ammoniumiodate, ammonium nitrite, ammonium nitrate, ammonium cyanide, ammoniumthiocyanide, silver nitrate, rubidium nitrate, ammonium phosphate,diammonium phosphate, ammonium polyphosphate, ammonium pyrophosphate andammonium metaphosphate. Alternatively, a wide variety of exothermicchemical compounds can be used as heating agents in this invention andsuch chemicals are also disclosed in the prior art. When the liquidactivating agent 20 is water, typical heating agents 21 include calciumoxide, calcium chloride and sodium carbonate.

As previously mentioned here in the description of the prior art, manyof the heating and cooling agents 21 are incompatible when mixedtogether during storage in the inner compartment 19 prior to use. Asdisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,957,472, dry mixtures of urea and ammoniumnitrate and ammonium sulfamate are very effective cooling agents 21 whenmixed with water but will undergo decomposition by acid hydrolysisduring storage in their dry state. Mixtures of calcium oxides andcalcium chloride are very effective water-activated heating agents 21that will react prematurely if stored together as a dry mixture.

As a further illustration taken from U.S. Pat. No. 3,957,472 withrespect to cooling agents 21, ammonium nitrate can be mixed withoutdecomposition with the following cooling agents 21: ammonium bisulfate;ammonium bromide; ammonium bicarbonate; ammonium iodide; ammoniummagnesium selenate; ammonium manganese sulfate; ammonium phosphatedibasic; ammonium potassium tartrate; ammonium salicylate; ammoniumsulfate; ammonium sodium sulfate; ammonium thiocyanate; ammoniumpersulfate; potassium phosphate; potassium sulfate; potassium sodiumtartrate; potassium thiocyanate; potassium iodide; and potassiumchloride. Similarly, urea can be mixed without decomposition with thefollowing chemical agents: afenil; sodium acetate; sodium citrate;sodium nitrate; sodium thiocyanate; sodium thiosulfate; citric acid;tartaric acid; ferric ammonium sulfate; and thiourea. The compounds thatare compatible with mixtures containing ammonium nitrate are, however,not compatible with the compounds that are compatible with mixturescontaining urea, and cannot be brought into contact together duringstorage without degradation of the cooling capacity of the mixedmaterials. With respect to heating agents 21, mixtures of calcium oxide,sodium carbonate, and aluminum chloride are compatible with each otherbut are not compatible with calcium chloride during storage.

Accordingly, this present invention allows mixtures of compatibleheating and cooling agents 21 to be stored separately from othermixtures of heating and cooling agents 21 that would not be compatiblewith them during storage. Here compatible heat-transfer agents 21 aremixed together and stored in their dry state in the first cavity 35 ofthe inner compartment 19 while other heat-transfer agents 21 that areincompatible with those stored in the first cavity 35 are mixed togetherstored in the third cavity 37 of the compartment 19 and the incompatiblematerials 21 of the first 35 and third cavities 37 are separated fromeach other by the sealing membranes or barriers 22 that form the secondcavity 36 filled with the activating liquid 20.

With further reference to FIG. 2, the barrier or rupturable membrane 22that separates the liquid activating agent 20 from the heating orcooling agent 21 is coupled to the sidewall 60 of the inner compartment19 to form a second cavity 36 within the base of the first cavity 35 andthe top of the third cavity 37. The first 35, second 36 and the thirdcavities 37 can be of different sizes and the rupturable membrane 22 ismade out of material that can be punctured by the sharp surfaces 44 ofthe tearing filament 33, including rubber, elastomers, latex,polychlororprene, films, plastics etc. The rupturable membrane 22 issufficiently durability to keep the contents of the second cavity 36from coming into contact with the contents of the first 35 and thirdcavities 37 during normal handling.

Alternatively, the rupturable membrane 22 may consist of a balloon orplastic bag or pouch containing the liquid 20 that is positioned tooccupy all of the interior space of the second cavity 36 such that theballoon forms the membrane or barrier 22 that separates the liquid 20 inthe second cavity 35 from the heating or cooling agent 21 in the first35 and third cavities 37. The liquid-filled balloon 22 is sufficientlyfull of liquid 20 so that the filled balloon 22 is tightly pressedagainst the inner surface 60 of the inner compartment 19 such that noneof the material 21 stored in the first 35 or third cavity 37 can passinto the second cavity 36 without rupturing or tearing the balloon orbarrier or sealing membrane 22. Thus chemical agents that cannot bebrought into direct contact in the dry state without a reactiondestructive of their capacity to serve as heat-transfer agents 21 can bestored prior to activation in the container 10. In this manner, theinvention exhibits improved shelf-life and stability compared to otherself-heating and self-cooling devices that use chemical activationagents without having to rely upon the use of a layer of ammoniumchloride disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,957,472.

The means of rupturing the membrane or barrier 22 consists of theheat-transfer mechanism 43 comprising the plug pull tab 41 attached tothe removable plug 31, the hollow tube 40 and the tearing filament 33.The plug pull tab is located beneath the openable closure or tear panel23 and is attached to the removable plug 31 that in turn is insertedinto the portal 28 connected to the diaphragm 25 when the heat-transfermechanism 43 is in the inactive position. The plug pull tab 41 istypically made from the same materials commonly used to manufacturemetal cans including steel, aluminum and alloys, but can be made fromany other suitable material including plastics and related polymers. Theremovable plug 31 is held in place within the diaphragm 25 by a pressureseal 30 attached to the circumference of the bottom end 29 of the plug31 or by modifying the bottom end 29 of the plug 31 to faun themale-threaded fitting 32 that can be screwed into the female-threadedfitting 50 formed as a modification of the orifice 28 within thediaphragm 25. The plug 31 can be made from any suitable materialincluding plastics, metals and polymers. The hollow tube 40 is typicallymade of plastic and has an inside diameter sufficient to allow freepassage of the tearing filament 33 through the tube 40 during activationof the heat-transfer mechanism 43. The tube 43 is of sufficient lengthto extend around 0.25 times the length of the inner compartment 19 andis affixed to the bottom end 29 of the removable plug 31 to form a rigidconduit for the tearing filament 33.

The tearing filament 33 is in the form of a string or cord made fromplastic, metal wire or natural fiber approximately 1.5 times the lengthof the inner compartment 19 and is comprised of four separated strands38. The tearing filament is attached at its top end to the removableplug 31 and then threaded through the hollow tube 40 during placement ofthe heat transfer mechanism 43 into the inner compartment 19 along withthe heating or cooling agents 21, activation liquid 20 and barrier orsealing membranes or rupturable membranes 22. Each strand 38 of thetearing filament 33 has an abrasive coating or abrasive, sharp-edgedobjects 39 attached to the distal one-third of its length. The abrasivecoating typically consists of sharpened particles of garnet or glasshaving an average diameter of around 1/32 to 1/64 inch or sharpenedmetal shards of approximately the same size that are glued or applied ina coating onto the surfaces of the strands 38. The sharpened material isapplied such that the sharpened edges of the particles are free to catchonto and rip through the barrier or sealing membrane 22 when broughtinto contact with the membrane 22.

During assembly of the device 51, the tearing filament 33 is insertedthrough the hollow tube 40 which is in turn located in the first cavity35. The heat-transfer material 21 is then added to the third cavity 37and the distal lengths of each of the strands 38 are stored in the thirdcavity 37 along with the heat-transfer materials 21. The barrier orsealing membrane 22 is then positioned above the third cavity to isolatethe third cavity 37 from the rest of the inner compartment 19 and thestrands 38 are separated from each other and positioned equidistantlyfrom each other such that each strand 38 passes from the third cavity 37through the barrier 22 into the second cavity 36. The activating liquid20 is then poured into the second cavity 36 to fill it and anotherbarrier or sealing membrane 22 is the positioned on top of the secondcavity 36 to isolate it from the rest of the inner compartment 19. Thestrands 38 then pass from the second cavity 36 through the barrier 22into the first cavity 36 and then through the hollow tube 40 toterminate in an attachment to the removable plug 31. Alternatively, ifthe barrier is a balloon or pouch 22, the strands pass from the thirdcavity 35 around the balloon 22 between the sidewall 60 of the innercompartment 19 and the outer surface of the balloon or pouch and enterthe first cavity 35. Heat-transfer material 21 is then added to thefirst cavity 35 and the inner compartment 19 is assembled and sealed.

As shown in FIG. 3, when a user of the device 51 pulls on the plug pulltab 41, force is applied to the removable plug 31 attached to thetearing filament 33 causing the filament 33 to travel from the thirdcavity 35 through the second 36 and first cavities 37, ripping open thebarriers 22 surrounding the second cavity 36 and allowing the passage ofliquids 20 from the second cavity 36 throughout the contents of thefirst 35 and third cavities 37 to promote rapid diffusion and ensurecomplete and thorough contact between the solid 21 and liquid 20. Duringtypical use, the beverage consumer first pulls the tab 41, plug 31,hollow tube 40 and tearing filament 33 encased in the hollow tube 40 outof the orifice 28 in the diaphragm 25 such that the hollow tube 40 andrelated assembly is almost fully extended out of the inner compartment19, thus rupturing the barriers 22 encasing the second cavity 36 andallowing the contents within the inner container 19 to mix. The consumerthen pushes the tab 41, plug 31 and hollow tube 40 back into the innercompartment 19 and turns the container 5 upside-down and then right-sideup so that the liquid 20 in the second cavity 36 will continue to mixwith the contents of the inner compartment 19.

With respect to the inner compartment 19 of the self-cooling device 51,the diaphragm 25 is affixed to the top of the inner compartment 19 tocreate a completely self-contained unit that can be activated by theconsumer with no contact between the consumer and contents of the innercompartment 19. As an additional safety feature, the diaphragm 25 andcontact interface with the consumer with respect to activating thecooling mechanism is completely separated from the pull tab 6 at the topof the container 5 whereby the consumer accesses the beverage 17. Bythese features, the self-cooling container 5 is made safe to use.

The compressed static spring mixer 24 illustrated in FIG. 2 comprises acompressed spring 38 placed but not permanently attached at the bottomof the third cavity 37 and on top of the interior surface of thediaphragm 25. The compressed spring is held in its compressed state by asolvent-soluble tape or glue 39 whereby the solvent is typically water,and has sufficient tensile strength to be able to spring open and pushthrough into the second cavity 36 from the third cavity 37 whileovercoming any resistance presented by remnants of the ruptured membrane22. A close view of the compressed spring 38 secured with thesolvent-activated tape 39 and the uncompressed spring 40 is shown inFIG. 6. The compressed spring 38 is activated into becoming a staticmixer when solvent dissolves or loosens the solvent soluble tape 39 thatholds the spring 38 in its compressed state. The compressed spring 38can be made of various materials including steel, aluminum, carbon fiberand plastic such that the material has sufficient tensile strength to beeffective as a static mixer when the spring is uncoiled. The watersoluble tape or glue 39 is well known to those familiar with the priorart and can be procured from various suppliers such as 3M.Alternatively, if the liquid activating agent 20 is not water, then thetape or glue 39 used to secure the compressed spring 38 must be solublein the non-aqueous liquid activating agent 20. There are many examplesshown in the technical literature of tapes and glues that are soluble inliquids other than water and can be used for this invention in the eventthat the liquid activating agent 20 is an alcohol, ketone, acetate orhydrocarbon or the like.

As shown in FIG. 4, when liquid loosens or dissolves the tape 39, thespring 38 uncoils with sufficient force to roil the liquid coolantmixture 20 and improve the contact between clumps of un-dissolvedheating or cooling agent 21 in the first 35 and third cavities 37 andisolated pockets of liquid activation agent 20 in the second cavity 36.The uncoiled spring 40 is now free to move throughout the innercompartment 19 and when the self-heating or self-chilling container 5 isshaken up and down after activation of the heating or cooling mechanismand related processes, the uncoiled spring 40 continues to improvemixing within the inner compartment 19 by moving from the top to thebottom of the inner compartment 19, breaking up any remaining clumps ofun-dissolved material and improving the transfer of heat from thebeverage 17 in the cavity 16 located outside of the inner compartment 19through the sidewall 27 of the inner compartment 19 by creatingturbulent mixing forces that promote efficient heat transfer throughboundary layers adjacent to the interior and exterior surfaces of theinner compartment 19.

FIGS. 2 through 5 describe a self-heating or self-cooling container 5equipped with a lid 3 containing the self-heating or self-cooling device51 whereby the diaphragm 25 is sealed off from the environment by theremovable plug 31 that is fitted into an orifice 28 located in thecenter of the diaphragm 25. The plug 31 is be held in place within thediaphragm 25 by a pressure seal 30 attached to the circumference of thebottom end 29 of the plug 31 or by modifying the bottom end 29 of theplug 31 to form a male-threaded fitting 32 that can be screwed into afemale-threaded fitting 50 formed as a modification of the orifice 28within the diaphragm 25. The plug 31 and the fittings 32 and 50 serve asa safety device and minimize the risk of contact between the consumerand the contents of the device 51 when the consumer activates the device51.

FIGS. 2 through 8 describe an embodiment of the invention where the lid3 as described above is directly and permanently attached to the outercompartment 10 of the self-heating or self-chilling can 5 and to theinner compartment 19 of the self-heating or self-cooling device 51,which is then in direct contact with the beverage 17 contained withinthe outer compartment 10 and located within the first cavity 16 of theouter compartment 10. In another embodiment of the invention illustratedin FIGS. 9 through 12, the surface of the lid 3 is expanded to form awell that can extend into the interior of the cavity 16 containing thebeverage 17, when the lid 3 is secured to the outer compartment 10, todisplace some of the volume of the cavity 16 that contains the liquid 17to be cooled such that a fourth cavity 15 is formed that does notcontain any liquid 17 and is open to the environment. The fourth cavity15 conforms to the shape of the inner compartment 19 of the self-coolingdevice 51 and is made to hold the inner compartment 19 in place. Theinner compartment 19 can be held in place within the well of the lid 3by a pressure seal 49 attached to the circumference of the top end 28 ofthe sidewall 27 of the inner compartment 19 or by modifying the top end28 of the sidewall 27 to form a male-threaded fitting 50 that can bescrewed into a female-threaded fitting 52 formed as a modification ofthe top expanded end of the well. In this manner a separate heating orcooling device or insert 51 that comprises the heating or coolingmechanism 43, the static spring mixer 45, the heating or cooling agent21, the separating barrier 33 and the liquid 20 to activate the heatingor cooling agent 21 can all be manufactured separately from the lid 3and the container 5 holding the beverage 17 to be cooled, and thus thedescribed cooling device 51 can be inserted into and removed from thelid 3 and thus indirectly from a beverage container 5 for ease of useand to promote efficiency with respect to the manufacturing of the lid3, container 5 and the device 51 and with respect to the recycling andreuse of the lids, caps, containers and the spent heat-transfermaterials 21.

FIG. 14 describes another embodiment of the invention where the sidewall27 adjacent to the top end 28 of the inner compartment 19 of theself-cooling device 51 as described herein is modified to form a lip 58or concentric ring that extends outward perpendicular to the verticalaxis of the sidewall 27 of the inner compartment 19. The lip 58 has atop surface 59, a bottom surface 61, and a gasket 62 attached to thebottom surface 61 of the lip 58, and is extended such that the bottomsurface 61 of the lip 58 forms a leak-free seal of the cavity 16 whenthe modified self-cooling device 51 is placed into the cavity 16 of theouter compartment 10 and onto the top 11 of the outer compartment 10 ofa beverage container 63 and downward pressured is applied to the topsurface of the lip 58. This downward pressure can be applied by screwingon any standard cap 64 or lid that is typically used to seal a beverageor food container which is typically a glass or plastic bottle 63. Inthis manner a separate heating or cooling device or insert 51 thatcomprises the heating or cooling mechanism 43, the static spring mixer45, the heating or cooling agent 21, the separating barrier 22 and theliquid 20 to activate the heating or cooling agent 21 can all bemanufactured and sold separately from the cap or lid 64 and thecontainer holding the beverage to be cooled 63, and thus the describedheating or cooling device 51 can be inserted into and removed from abeverage bottle 63 or other related container having a cap or a lid 64without the need for a specially modified cap 4, lid 3 or self-heatingor self-chilling container 5 for ease of use and to reduce the cost ofuse.

With respect to the above, the operation of the present self-heating orself-cooling container 5 equipped with a lid 3 or a cap 4 containing aself-heating or self-cooling device 51 or the self-heating orself-cooling device 51 used as an insert is safe and simple. A customerfirst pulls away the tear panel 26 located at the top of the container 5to gain access to the heat-transfer mechanism 43, then pulls the plugpull tab 41 and extends the mechanism 43 out of the top of the innercompartment 19 to rupture the rupturable membrane 22. Once the membrane22 is ruptured, the liquid 20 from second cavity 36 enters the first 35and third cavities 37 and reacts or solubilizes the heating or coolingagent 21 in the third cavity 37 initiating either an endothermicreaction that absorbs heat from the beverage 17 and cools the beverage17 or an exothermic reaction to heat up the beverage 17. The liquid 20from the second cavity 36 also travels to the compressed spring 38 anddissolves the solvent-activated tape 39 and the spring 38 is uncoiledwith sufficient force to thoroughly mix the materials in the innercompartment 19 speed up the heating or cooling process. The beverage 17is consumed through the openable closure means 18 by pulling on the pulltab 6 or unscrewing the bottle cap 4.

Alternatively, the consumer may remove the cap 64 from a standardbeverage bottle 62, which typically contains an airspace at the top,select a self-heating or self-cooling device 51 equipped with a lip 58,activate the heat-transfer mechanism 43 of the device 51 in the samemanner as above, insert the self-heating or self-cooling device 51 intothe opening at the top of the beverage container 63, and then tightlyattaché the cap 64 and wait for the beverage 17 to cool sufficiently forconsumption. The consumer can then remove the cap 64 and the device 51and consume the beverage 17.

While the preferred form of the present invention has been shown anddescribed above, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art thatthe subject invention is not limited by the Figures and that the scopeof the invention includes modifications, variations and equivalentswhich fall within the scope the attached claims. Moreover, it should beunderstood that the individual components of the invention includeequivalent embodiments without departing from the spirit of thisinvention.

1. A self-heating or self-cooling container cover equipped with aself-heating or self-cooling device whereby the cover forms the top to acontainer, comprising: a. A first openable closure means incorporatedwithin the cover such that the means can be penetrated or opened orremoved to provide access to the liquid stored within the container; andb. a self-heating or self-cooling device incorporated into or coupled tothe cover such that the device can be located within the cavity of thecontainer when the cover is affixed to the container, said deviceincluding: (i) at least one sidewall, a top end and a bottom end, (ii) afirst cavity containing a heat-transfer material (i.e., heating orcooling agents) consisting of either an endothermic cooling agent orexothermic heating agent that will react when contacted with a liquidactivator, (iii) a second cavity containing a liquid that will activatethe heating or cooling process when in contact with the heat-transfermaterials, (iv) a third cavity containing a heat-transfer material thatis incompatible with the heat transfer material found in the firstcavity and that will react when contacted with a liquid activator, (v) arupturable membrane or barrier means separating the first and thirdcavities from the second cavity and which isolates the second cavity,(vi) an second openable closure or tear panel or means attached to thetop end that provides tamper-free access to the interior or the devicewhile preventing accidental activation of the heating or coolingmechanism, (vii) a diaphragm attached to or comprising the top end ofthe device and accessible through the second openable closure or tearpanel located near the center of the diaphragm having aninterior-oriented surface, an exterior-oriented surface and a portal ororifice extending through the diaphragm; (viii) a removable plug that isfitted into the orifice located in the center of the diaphragm that isheld in place within the diaphragm by a pressure seal attached to thecircumference of the bottom end of the plug or by modifying the bottomend of the plug to form a male threaded fitting that can be screwed intoa female threaded fitting formed as a modification of the orifice withinthe diaphragm, (ix) a tearing filament attached to the bottom end of theremovable plug that is of sufficient length to extend around 1.5 timesthe length of the inner compartment from the top end of the innercompartment through the first cavity and adjacent to or through themembrane or barrier separating the second cavity from the first andthird cavities and finally terminating in the third cavity, said tearingfilament comprised of four separated strands that have an abrasivecoating or abrasive, sharp-edged objects attached to the distalone-third of each strand to a puncturing means for rupturing themembrane or barrier separating the first and third cavities from thesecond cavity, (x) a hollow tube of sufficient length to extend around0.25 times the length of the inner compartment that is affixed to thebottom end of the removable plug to form a rigid conduit for the tearingfilament, (xi) a plug pull tab attached to the top end of the removableplug such that when the tab and plug attached to the tearing filamentare pulled by the user, the tearing filament travels from the thirdcavity through the second and first cavities, ripping open the barrierssurrounding the second cavity, thus allowing the passage of liquids fromthe second cavity throughout the contents of the first and thirdcavities to promote rapid diffusion and ensure complete and thoroughcontact between the solid and liquid components or reactants, (xii) aheat transfer mechanism comprising the plug pull tab attached to theremovable plug, the hollow tube and the tearing filament that isactivated by pulling the tab and related assembly out of the portalattached to the diaphragm and away from the top of the container toallow the sharpened surfaces of the tearing filament to travel and topenetrate the membranes or barriers separating the two cavities suchthat the liquid from the second cavity gains access to the heating andcooling agents in the first and third cavities and (xiii) a staticspring mixer consisting of compressed spring held in its compressedstate by a solvent-soluble tape or glue where the solvent is typicallywater located in the third cavity containing the heating or coolingagents adjacent to the interior surface of the bottom of the innercontainer such that the static spring mixer expands to mix the contentsof the first, second and third cavities upon activation by water.
 2. Aself-heating or self-cooling container cover according to claim 1 inwhich the first openable closure means consist of a rupturable tearpanel or pull tab which may be ruptured to provide access to the liquidstored within the container whereby (i) the pull tab has a front end anda bottom end and (ii) the back end of the pull tab is placed adjacent tothe rupturable tear panel such that when the front end of the pull tabis pulled away from the lid, the rupturable tear panel ruptures andmoves into the cavity, providing access to the beverage stored within.3. A self-heating or self-cooling container cover according to claim 1whereby the tear panel can be an adhesive foil, a plastic cap or thelike which can be peeled back, opened, or otherwise removed by theconsumer.
 4. A self-heating or self-cooling container cover according toclaim 1 whereby the cover performs as the first openable closure meanswhen configures as a cap that can be firmly attached to top end of thecontainer to form a sealed unit comprising: (i) a threaded cap equippedwith a female-threaded fitting or other female-threaded means having anexterior surface and an interior surface such that the cap when screwedonto the self-heating or self-chilling container will create aself-contained unit, (ii) a portal or orifice made through the topsurface of the cap of sufficient diameter to allow insertion of aself-heating or self-cooling device as described herein; (iii) aself-heating or self-cooling device incorporated into or coupled to thecap through the portal to form a leak-free cap; (iv) a seal or gasketaffixed to the interior surface of the cap and forming around the outercircumference of the self-heating or self-cooling device that can alsoenclose the opening of the container to create an isolated cavity withinthe container that can contain any enclosed beverage or liquid withoutleakage or spillage and without any contamination from the environmenteven when the liquid is pressurized under those pressures typical of acarbonated beverage, and (v) a top end of the container equipped with amale-threaded fitting or other male threaded means that can mate withthe threaded cap when screwed together to form a tight-fitting sealbetween the cap, the gasket, the top end of the container and the cavityof the container.
 5. A self-heating or self-cooling container coveraccording to claim 1 whereby the sidewalls of the self-heating orself-cooling device is constructed of a suitable heat transfer materialand is preferably made from materials such as steel, aluminum or othermetal alloys.
 6. A self-heating or self-cooling container coveraccording to claim 1 in which the self-heating or self-cooling devicehas a first cavity, a second cavity and a third cavity whereby the firstand third cavities contain water-activated heating or cooling agents andthe second cavity contains water.
 7. A self-heating or self-coolingcontainer cover according to claim 1 in which the self-heating orself-cooling device allows compatible heating and cooling agents to bemixed together and stored in their dry state in the first cavity of thedevice while other heating and cooling agents that are incompatible withthose stored in the first cavity are mixed together stored in the thirdcavity of the device and the incompatible materials of the first andthird cavities are separated from each other by the sealing membranes orbarriers that form the second cavity filled with water.
 8. Aself-heating or self-cooling container cover according to claim 1 inwhich the rupturable membrane is made out of material that can bepunctured by the sharp surfaces of the tearing filament, includingrubber, elastomers, latex, polychlororprene, films and plastics.
 9. Aself-heating or self-cooling container cover according to claim 1 inwhich the rupturable membrane consists of a balloon or plastic bag orpouch containing the liquid that is positioned to occupy all of theinterior space of the second cavity such that the balloon forms themembrane or barrier that separates the liquid in the second cavity fromthe heating or cooling agent in the first and third cavities.
 10. Aself-heating or self-cooling container cover according to claim 1 inwhich the means of rupturing the membrane or barrier consists of a plugpull tab attached to the removable plug, the hollow tube and the tearingfilament.
 11. A self-heating or self-cooling container cover accordingto claim 1 in which the plug pull tab is made from the same materialscommonly used to manufacture metal cans including steel, aluminum andalloys, but can be made from any other suitable material includingplastics and related polymers.
 12. A self-heating or self-coolingcontainer cover according to claim 1 in which the removable plug is madefrom any suitable material including plastics, metals and polymers. 13.A self-heating or self-cooling container cover according to claim 1 inwhich the hollow tube is made of plastic and has an inside diametersufficient to allow free passage of the tearing filament through thetube during activation of the heat-transfer reaction and is ofsufficient length to extend around 0.25 times the length of the deviceand is affixed to the bottom end of the removable plug to form a rigidconduit for the tearing filament.
 14. A self-heating or self-coolingcontainer cover according to claim 1 in which the tearing filament is inthe form of a string or cord made from plastic, metal wire or naturalfiber approximately 1.5 times the length of the device and is comprisedof four separated strands. The tearing filament is attached at its topend to the removable plug and then threaded through the hollow tubeduring placement of the heating or cooling agents, activation liquid andbarrier or sealing membranes or rupturable membranes. Each strand of thetearing filament has an abrasive coating or abrasive, sharp-edgedobjects attached to the distal one-third of its length. The abrasivecoating typically consists of sharpened particles of garnet or glasshaving an average diameter of around 1/32 to 1/64 inch or sharpenedmetal shards of approximately the same size that are glued or applied ina coating onto the surfaces of the strands. The sharpened material isapplied such that the sharpened edges of the particles are free to catchonto and rip through the barrier or sealing membrane when brought intocontact with the membrane.